AFL GROWTH 2022 Recap

And that’s a wrap! Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in AFL GROWTH 2022. This past week was filled with market sessions, product trainings, roundtable discussions and more.

Day four began with more product reviews. During a morning Test and Inspection breakout session, guests were asked to hit the EASY button when they realized how easy it is to use our products.

During lunch, Jody Gallagher, President and CEO, Steve Ferguson, Executive Vice President of Sales and Kurt Dallas, President of our Product Solutions, hosted an executive roundtable.

Thursday was also the final day of our Solutions Fair, a time to showcase our products and end-to-end solutions. 

We enjoyed learning and growing together and can’t wait until 2024!

Day Three Recap

We can’t believe we’re already halfway through with AFL GROWTH 2022! In just three days, our schedule has been filled with roundtable discussions, trainings, keynote speakers, plant tours and more. Day three was no exception. We kicked off Wednesday bright and early with a 5K run / walk led by Tom DePaolantonio, Verizon Global Account Manager. 

Guests also had the option to attend our WeCONNECT breakfast, which is our women’s affinity group, featuring guest speaker, Meredith Kinsey, President and COO of FUEL. She left us inspired when she informed us that “curiosity is a super skill.”

One of the major highlights of the sales meeting was our Solutions Fair. This portion of the sales meeting began on Wednesday and will run through Thursday. Here, our industry experts showcase our complete end-to-end solutions. Below are some moments from the fair:

In between product training sessions and the Solutions Fair, we also had some fun “outside the classroom.” Throughout the day, attendees stopped by our AFL store and our Imagine That! table to learn more about donating to our annual fundraising event. 

Finally, after a busy day of product reviews, trainings and plant tours, we concluded day three with a barbecue on the terrace filled with games, music, food and more. 

We're looking forward to see what day four has in store for us!

Day Two Recap

AFL GROWTH 2022 is in full force! We kicked off day two with more market and project review sessions led by industry leaders. Pictured below, Lucas Mays, Product Line Manager for Fusion Splicing Systems, discusses plans for growth in his department.

Later on, our sales managers made their way to the Roper Mountain Science Center, part of Greenville County Schools, to participate in one of AFL's Community Team (ACT) projects. ACT projects include associates, friends and family who volunteer for an organization. This was the first ACT project since the pandemic began, so we were all excited to volunteer and give back to the local community. This particular project included cleaning the trails, spreading mulch, repairing signage on the trail, fence repair and more. At the end of the project, we presented them with a $3,000 ACT grant, which came as a surprise to them. Needless to say, they were thrilled!

Some of our team members even made a new friend, Monty the Python!

Towards the end of the day, our agents began to arrive in Greenville, South Carolina and we had a great time welcoming them into town! We celebrated their arrival with a welcome reception at the Embassy Atrium where we all gathered together and reconnected. Now, it's time to GROW!

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the week. Our Solutions Fair portion of the sales meeting is coming up next. Here, we will showcase our complete end-to-end solutions.

Day One Recap

After four years in the making, AFL GROWTH 2022 is finally here and off to a strong start! Since 2020’s meeting was cancelled due to COVID-19, we’re excited to have the opportunity to see everyone again in person. AFL GROWTH is our bi-annual commercial sales conference, and we are hosting this year’s meeting at the Embassy Suites Golf Resort and Conference Center in Greenville, South Carolina. This event is designed to educate our core audiences on opportunities for growth in our five strategic markets: Energy, Enterprise, Hyperscale / Data Center, Industrial and Service Provider. 

Day one was filled with several market and product review sessions spearheaded by our industry professionals where they addressed their goals for this upcoming year and the future. Pictured below, Keith Sullivan, Global Product Lead, discusses his plans for Inside Plant Connectivity during one of these sessions noting that “2021 set the foundation for growth in 2022.”

These sessions were all well attended, illustrating a dedication among our sales teams that they are committed to growing, supporting and learning more about AFL and the industry as a whole.

Mary Ellen Grom, Executive Director for Customer Experience Solutions, and Steve Ferguson, Executive Vice President of Sales, are pictured below kicking off day one with opening remarks addressed to our sales teams in all five of our markets, including discussion around donating to Imagine That!, our annual fundraising event.

Around noon, attendees gathered for a buffet, provided by the Embassy Suites, where they were able to reconvene with fellow sales team members from across the country.

After lunch, all guests attended a General Session, hosted by Mary Ellen and David Mason, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, pictured below, to discuss our new Digital Customer Experience (DXP). For more than a year, a team of AFL associates has been creating a new DXP. More than just a website, this new DXP features fresh new designs, advanced search capabilities, easier navigation, mobile-friendly aesthetics, simplified communication and acts as a platform for the future.  

To end the day, sales team members made their way to Fluor Field where the Greenville Drive hosted a dinner specifically for them.

Since our last meeting in 2018, our markets have expanded more rapidly than ever, so we are looking forward to full week of reconnecting, learning and growing together. We are confident that attendees will leave this conference equipped with the knowledge needed to sell and advocate for AFL in the years ahead. Here’s to another fun and successful sales meeting!